Quantcast

The Home of Adventure

Bear-Sig-01 1

Bear Grylls

50 Campfires 2013 Gear Of The Year – Gadgets

There seem to be two kinds of campers. On the one hand, you have people who grab a can of beans and a blanket and they’re off. They have a great time and enjoy the rugged simplicity of the great outdoors. More power to em’. We fall into the other camp. We love watching new gadgets come out every year that are lighter, more efficient, and easier to use. We love to be out in the woods for the weekend, but we want to be comfortable too. We want to sleep like a rock and eat like kings. Here are a few gadgets that will make your excursion easier, safer and more enjoyable.

Lifestraw
Lifestraw



Lifestraw

We certainly aren’t the first ones to award Gear of the Year to Lifestraw, but it’s such an amazing product that we had to join the ranks. It filters up to 264 gallons of water, and can be used immediately. There is no waiting for water to disinfect. It’s lightweight, and has a shelf life of 5 years. It’s only $20, and has already saved countless lives around the world. It’s revolutionary simplicity places it among the most innovative products for outdoorsman in recent years.

Visit the Lifestraw Website

MSRP: $19.95

Luminaid
Luminaid



Luminaid

The Luminaid is a lightweight, solar powered, inflatable, waterproof LED light. Did you get all that? The Luminaid isn’t going to blaze a trail through a dark woods for you, but it is going to light up your tent, for free, for a long time. It folds up to the size of an iPod and can clip on the outside of your backpack to charge it during the day. At night, it offers plenty of light, allowing you to get situated in your tent. It’s a fantastic little light.

Visit the Luminaid Website

MSRP: $19.95

Coghlans Adhesive Signal Light
Coghlans Adhesive Signal Light



Coghlans Adhesive Signal Light

These little adhesive lights are awesome. Forget glow sticks. These work for 80+ hours and can be seen from ½ mile away. We can think of all sorts of camping situations where they’d be handy. Stick one at your campsite entrance for family members coming back in the dark. Put them on your kids bikes and/or backpacks. Put one on the pit toilet at a primitive campsite. Simple to use, and 80+ hours of run time make it worth the purchase.

Visit the Coghlans Adhesive Signal Light Website

MSRP: Varies

Zippo 4-in-1 Woodsman
Zippo 4-in-1 Woodsman



Zippo 4-in-1 Woodsman

This thing is like the ultimate multi-tool for campers. You can sheer the limbs off 3 inch deadfall and cut it up with the bow saw for the fire. Instead of using your foot, you can pound tent stakes in with the Woodsman. And if you had to pound them in, they’re not coming out easy. The Woodsman has a tent stake puller as well. The ax came surprisingly sharp. It’s a little tricky getting used to the ax-to-saw conversion, so read the instructions. All in all, a nice addition to the camp box.

Buy the Zippo 4-in-1 Woodsman at Bass Pro Shops

MSRP: $79.99

Delorme inReach
Delorme inReach SE Satellite Communicator



Delorme inReach SE Satellite Communicator

If you’re the kind of camper that favors remote campgrounds and even more remote trails it’s smart to have some kind of foolproof way to communicate in an emergency. The Delorme inReach allows you to stay in touch with friends and family anywhere on the planet. Share GPS coordinates, allow people to ping your location, and even post to social media to share your adventure. The safety plan (cheapest option) is $9.95 an month for 10 messages – plenty to send help your way if the unexpected happens.

Visit the Delorme inReach Website

MSRP: $299.95

Click Here To Go Back To The Gear Of The Year Awards

Join the Conversation!

More Like This

More Stories

15 Best National and State Parks Near Portland, Oregon

Portland might keep it weird—but the parks surrounding Oregon’s largest city are outlandishly beautiful, with plenty of sites to shock and awe. The Beaver [...]

This Company is Opening the World’s First Octopus Farm. Is it Ethical?

Seafood brand Nueva Pescanova recently announced a plan to open the world’s first octopus farm. While global culinary markets could benefit from having a [...]

California Sea Otters Are Dying. Your Cat’s Poop Could Be to Blame.

In California, four otters have tested positive for a deadly brain disease called toxoplasmosis. Some biologists suspect domesticated cat feces could be to blame. [...]

It May Soon Be Illegal to Drive Through Some U.S. National Parks

All around North America, the car-free park movement seems to be gaining steam. Last year, Rock Creek, a city park managed by the National [...]

Mom of the Year: Jackal Forces Eagle to Drop Her Pup 

A mother jackal has done the impossible: When an eagle kidnapped her baby, she pressured it into dropping the pup back down to her.  [...]

How Bear Grylls Navigates When Lost in the Jungle

As a survivalist, Bear Grylls has spent a lot of time in the world’s jungles—remember those gripping episodes of Man Vs. Wild in Borneo? [...]

Scroll to Top